I Believe In Angels
by Thor
Summary: Another of my Detroit tales, this details the life and times of Marv, a dangerous Caitiff who meets an angel and saves the world. (At least he's pretty sure he did) Now improved and expanded with the same great taste.


Hey, welcome to the new and improved version of Marv's first story. Containing more thrills, more chills, and more moments where he stands around looking confused! In truth this is just a little re-write inspired by the amazingly appreciated comments and reviews of Icy Mike and Tremere. I hopefully clarified some of the sections, and extended and expanded on a few other minor sections. I think doing so has much improved the quality of the story. So, if you think you can, feel free to sit down at the corner table and listen to Marv tell you (yet again) how he met an angel.

I Believe In Angels: A Tale of Detroit 

Hey, my names Marv. I'm down in the sewers and there's a huge pile o evil about to come roaring around the corner to kill me. The only thing I got going for me is a lead pipe, an attitude, and an angel. I hear the growling and the slurping, sounds like the son's o bitches just grew a set and are coming for me. I grip the bar, and grit my teeth. I ain't goin down without rippin' a few dozen new assholes for the...What? You want me ta start at the beginning? I guess I should, sorry I'm not good at telling stories. Well I guess the real start of the whole affair was actually the night before that one.... 

* * *

I was sitting in The Crypt and sipping a cup of warmed vitae. I usually don't hang out at a trendy piece of crap club like this one. I prefer a good old fashioned country bar. Y'know, the kind that play Twitty and Cash, and Haggard. Why, some of these new stinkin' 'country rock stars' just....sorry, I get confused easily. Well, anyways, I had gone back to the kindred only section. Not cause I wanted to mind ya, but I had to. The place was pretty packed, but that didn't bother me, I always find room at the bar. Maybe it's cause I happen to be about six an a half feet of pure muscle. Or maybe it's the fact I dress in combat boots and wear a big heavy trenchcoat over my tanktop, always dressed for trouble, that's me. Or maybe it's because my face has been on the bad end of enough crap to give me a mug only a mother could love. Make that a blind mother, wouldn't want to give a real mom a heart attack or something by showing up and asking her ta love my face...sorry. I figure that's enough bad to make me someone to give some elbow room. Course a pal o mine once said the reason I get space is because o my eyes. Not that they glow or nothing, though I've seen some of us get glowin' eyes when pissed. Naw my eyes are brown, but accordin' ta my friend they're cold and hopeless. The eyes of a killer and a dead man.

So I'm sittin' in the bar keepin' an eye on my target, and rememberin'. Not a lot mind. Matter of fact I can't recall much even if I wanted to. About three months ago I woke up in an alley outside o Mercy Hospital. I was buried in trash, covered in blood, and had more cobwebs in my head then a belfry. Oh yeah, I was dead too. Not rottin' corpse dead, more like pale bloodsucker dead. That's right, I'm a vampire, fangs, blood, burned by sunlight. The whole she-bang. The good side is I'm stronger and faster then any human, hell, I'm stronger and meaner then most o the other boot lick Kindred around here.

I spot Octavian come in, I hide my face. Not that I'm scared, I just don't need trouble tonight. Octavian would mean trouble. He's the sheriff o this city, and he don't care much for people who cause trouble. Not that I mean ta cause trouble, it just........sorta happens. But troubles that happen and troubles that are caused ain't exactly the same trouble. So...ah, never mind, I still gotta story ta tell. Luckily for me an' my plans Octavian don't notice me and wanders over to go bug some Torries. That's fine with me, lets me keep my eyes on my target. Decker, an old pussbag sonuvabitch. He looks like a grandpa with an attitude, all pissed and scowling all the time. 

I sit at the bar and watch him. But don't think I'm too obvious about it! Naw, I'm real good at doing some things sneaky......eh? Well what the hell would you know about it? Just trust me, I may be six foot plus of pure trouble, but I do fuckin' know how to handle some situations. Besides, I get me a good distraction tonight. Octavian screams and jumps right outta his chair. Goes stumbling all over the damn place and runs out the door. That sorta caught me by surprise, ain't often ya see some ancient peckerhead like Octavian go apeshit all of a sudden. I glance over at his table, but all that I can see was that he was talking ta some young little girl. Scared of a little girl? The pansy.

Turns out I probably shouldn't have bothered ta look over at what spooked Octavian, I shoulda been keeping my eyes on Decker. Cause when I turn back he's already blown the joint. Luckily I was lookin' towards the front, which means he musta slipped out the back. I quickly rush out the door and just spot him turning the corner. I follow. Decker walks like he looks, pissed. He slaps his walking cane down harshly with each step. The cane's covered in runes and stuff. Oh yeah, Decker's a Malkavian, and he thinks he's a wizard or something. Nutjob more like it. I don't like the Malkavian's much, I don't remember why, but I don't. And this Malkavian is one of the worst in town. Downright mean. Course, that's why I'm followin' him.

I heard about what he was up to from a Nossie pal o mine. Apparently Mr. Decker here feels that he ought to get some subjects for his 'magical studies'. From what I hear the sick bastard cuts em up and serves them for supper. I didn't think much of it, my pal was sorta hopped up at the time. But then the kidnappings started. Three kids taken from an orphanage. Next week two more from a school. I'll admit I drink blood, but I try not to kill people when I do so. But even so I understand mistakes can happen, and it's not like I wanna be Captain Vampire and go stop people robbing banks. But....I hate it when people hurt kids. So I figured I'd follow Decker till he goes to the kids. Then I'd let them go. And put Decker in a hurting. A big bad hurting.

There's a piss poor excuse for rain dripping and splattering on me as I trail the old geezer down the sidewalk. Ah Detroit, our beautiful city! I walk past abandoned factories and boarded up shop fronts. The rain's left the streets slick and shiny, the lights of the few cars driving by flash and reflect in the water. Decker doesn't even bother to check for people tailing him. Stupid. Not that I'm a rocket scientist or anything. Matter of fact, lestways as I can figure, I never exactly even got through third grade. But at least I check behind me. Good thing too, someone's following me. Decker's moving quick, I can either deal with the tail or stick with him. I reckon I could always find him again. Sorry kids, looks like ya gotta hang on a bit longer.

I stop at a storefront and admire it. They're selling trips to Hawaii at a special discount this week. The tail's not stupid they move past me and keep walking, probably planning on stopping further on ta watch me. I don't give em a chance. I drop in right behind the tail, keeping close and personal like. A girl. The tail's a girl. She's thin and huddled in a thick coat against the cold and damp. Long blonde hair is plastered to her pale flesh by the drizzling rain. I can see her shiver in the clammy weather. Was she following me? I get confused sometimes. My head's been so rattled it's easy for me to make mistakes if I don't take things careful. Is she a tail? Did I make a mistake? Should I stop her? Or should I go for Decker? She seems nervous with me so close, course any sane chit of a girl would be with me right on their tail. I figure I musta made a mistake, she ain't nothin'. I brush past her, I catch a glimpse into her wide hazel eyes. Like pools for a man to drown in....

I come to in a few moments, I'm down on my knees in the middle of a crosswalk. A car's honking at me, and the girl's asking if I'm okay. I musta gotten confused again. Her eyes, I just got confused and thinking about her eyes. I gotta concentrate, stick to my job. I stand up. I give the car driver a look that makes him swallow nervously and give up on his damn horn. The girl's still asking what's wrong. I can't see Decker. Damn! I catch a whiff of fresh peaches as the girl reaches up and pulls on my shoulder. I glance over at the perfect creature, looking delicate and fragile in her big dark coat. She points at an alley and tells me my friend went down it. I nod and dash off, Decker ain't gettin' away tonight. I catch up to him just as he slips into the back entrance of an abandoned auto shop. He slides down the big metal entry doors. They clang down on the pavement with a loud crash. Inside the office area are three thugs dressed in leather.

I figure I better do this right. I sneak up to peer into a side window. It's dark, but I can see Decker and he's talking to five small forms huddled on the floor. He holds up his cane and it starts ta glow with an eerie blue light. I figure he must have painted it with glow paint or something. So he waves the cane around, until it suddenly flashes a green color. He stops and holds it there, it's directly over a little blonde girl. Decker smiles and grabs her, she struggles but ain't no match for the dweeb. He leads her into the office area, I can just make him out talking to the three punks. I ain't educated, but I can sure as hell read lips. He orders them to kill the other kids, and then head out to find more. He says he'll definitely need more. Decker heads out through the front while the three bad boys of dorkdom pull out knives and head into the work area.

Deciding what to do ain't a fun choice. But I'm still smart enough to do math. Four kids or one kid, especially when those four have a couple of punks with knives comin' for em.. I kick in the window and leap into the room....well slide. It was a damn little window. By the time I stand up I've already been stabbed in the back a couple o times. They step away from me as I stand and they pull out their guns. I smile at them. The kids are smart, they close their eyes. Still I guess they hear the screams and crunching. Not to mention the splatting. Hope it don't give em too many nightmares. The punks were just humans, hardly worth my time ta kill. Still, they wanted to earn a living on murdering and kidnapping children. I guess they got what they deserved. I make the kids keep their eyes shut and lead them outside. I don't wanna lose Decker and the last kid. But I can't leave these kids alone in this neighborhood. I escort them to a bus stop and give the driver fifty bucks to let them off at a police station and make sure they get inside.

Then I rush back to the garage. I gotta make sure to clean up my messes. Important that. Preserve the Masquerade or else get Octavian all pissed and annoyed at ya. Even if the pansy is scared of little girls I figure I better deal with the bodies. I pop the arms and legs off and pack the remains into some trashbags. I dump the whole mess into a nearby dumpster. As I'm turnin' back to look for clues about Decker I spot two guys headin' for me. One's dressed like a bum, rotting clothes an' all. He's got a crazy black beard that practically covers his face, and looks like it was last washed in the eighties. The second boy is a big un. Almost as big as me. He's dressed in a long coat, closed in front. On his head he's wearin' a hat, pulled real low over his face. All I can make out of his features under the shadows are a grinnin' mouth holdin' a cigar.

I stop and wait for them to come ta me. Any two dillweeds walkin' up ta me in the middle of the night have got ta have a good reason. That's when I find out, they're some o the bad guys. The big one says I'm messin' with stuff best left alone. The jumpy little dork with him tells me ta fuck off or he'll fuck me till I'm dead. I tell him I'm already dead, and that ya can't kill somebody by fuckin' them and that if he tried it he'd pull back a stump instead of anything he tried ta touch me with. I think I say some other funny stuff too, real good jokes like that stump one. But I can't remember. They don't laugh. So I kick the jumpy guy in his balls. His eyes roll back and he drops to his knees, probably because I'm capable of kicking holes in cement, much less whatever he may have between his legs. I take a swing at the second guy, but he ducks and gives me a shot in my gut. It hurts, but not bad, so I deck him in the face, he flips through the air and slams inta a wall. The first guys gotten up, and he's changing. His clothes shred as that grimy black beard seems to coat his body. Werewolf. I've fought one before, this one's a whole lot uglier. He lashes out with one clawed hand, I barely leap back in time. I jump right back into him and knock him to the ground.

He howls and his claws rip at my back. I can take it, my hands clamp down on his face, my thumbs seek his eyes. The claws dig deeper, he chews on my arm with his fangs. I can take it, my thumbs dig into the sockets and go for the brain. He howls and goes hog wild on me. I can take it, my fingers are now deep in his skull I pull for all I'm worth. There's a sound like a watermelon being smashed, the top part of his head leaves the rest of his body. I cough up blood as I stagger to my feet. The big guy's standing by the wall, around him are three more of the bastards. All in beast form. All ready to finish me. He gives them the order. I stagger to one knee.

They charge, I'm busy gettin ready. One of em is real stupid and gets ahead of his pals. I bring up the torn off forearm of the jumpy little puke. The claws on the hand tear into the neck of the new guy and give him a bloody mess for a throat. He staggers and I kick him as hard as I can in the chest. I hear his ribcage crackle as he flies back. The next guy lashes out and opens my arm to the bone, I drop my claw club. But that's okay, he left himself wide open, My foot lashes out and crushes his knee. I then grab his head and shove it back till it touches his spine, at least three pieces of bone shatter. Torn throat gets up and slams into me from the side, his pal tears into me as well. I head-butt the fresh guy, and jam my good hand into the hole in the wounded ones' neck. I grab his jugular even as his fangs clamp down on my arm. I plant my foot on his pug ugly face and shove for all I'm worth. I'm left with a shredded arm, and a big part of his throat. He tries ta scream, but all he can do is gurgle as he crumples to the ground.

Two down. Two ta go. The big guy finally decides ta join the fun. I hear the click as he pulls out and arms two sawed-off double barreled shotguns. I turn and try to dive for cover as he lets rip with all four barrels. The rounds slam into me, shredding my coat and my flesh. The other guy is charging, and I'm staggering around with enough holes in me ta make Swiss cheese nervous. I turn and figger at least I'd deck him in the nuts before he ripped my head off. The wolfman charges, his fanged mouth wide. Then the figure drops down from a nearby rooftop. It almost seems to glide down from three stories up. But when it slams inta the werewolf he howls and is thrown back. I catch the shining flash as wings are extended from my savior's back. Her eyes flash with fire as she looks at the big guy. He curses and runs for it. Don't blame him, I wouldn't throw down with an angel either. She turns ta face me, her hazel eyes are still shining...

I come to. I'm in the alley, surrounded by death. The last guy is on top of me. Impaled on my knife. Did I have a knife? Where's the angel? I stagger to my feet, I'm pretty screwed up, but at least I'm still breathing. I look at the knife, it's simple and sharp. Just the kind I'd use. Was I seeing things? Or did the angel do some kind of cover up. If I did knife this guy, where'd the big guy go? If an angel saved me, where'd she go? I stagger a few steps and collapse to one knee. I need blood, lots of it, and probably about two days of rest. Still, the girl...I force myself up and place a hand on the alley wall to help support me. I stagger out into the street. The car lets out a wild honk before slamming inta me. Guess I forgot to look both ways. I lie there in the cold wet street, unable to stand, not knowing where to find Decker. Sorry girl, guess you're gonna have to be saved by someone other then Capt. Vampire. 

I don't know how long I've been in this car, last I recall was it hitting me. I gotta try to concentrate. I sit up, my whole body aches. A sweet voice asks if I'm okay, I shrug and tell her it could have been worse. I look up, an angel's driving the chariot of fire....make that a car, and change the angel to the lady from the street. Her hazel eyes glance at me in concern in the rear view mirror. She tells me she's taking me to the hospital. I hate hospitals. Though I'm not sure why. I tell her I don't need it, she gives me a smart little look and smiles. She asks if I've looked at myself recently, her eyes seem to glow with golden light.... no, never mind, no light. Just pretty hazel eyes. I lean forward and stare right at her. I tell her I don't need a hospital, and that she should just drop me off now. I drip quite a bit of blood on her leather upholstery. She laughs. It takes a lot of balls to laugh in my face. The gutsy ones, not the real ones, I don't think she...y'know. She says she could put me up in her basement for the day. Did she know what I was? Or was she just offering out of kindness? I accept. 

She lived out in East Detroit. In a small little house, only about four rooms to the whole thing. I stagger down the stairs into her cramped basement. The walls are covered in all sorts of paintings. Religious stuff, like Christ and crosses. Great, I've been saved by a Bible freak. Aw well, Christian charity will at least give me a place ta rest until I can heal up and find Decker again. I collapse onto a musty sofa and find myself staring at a picture of some angels descending from heaven to save those who've been good from the Apocalypse. Cute. As the sun rises outside and my senses start to dim I look up into the shining eyes above me. She smiles, the smile of an angel. She tells me it's all going to be all right. I believe her.

Outside the sun must have sunk below the horizon. I can smell that damp sweet smell that tells me that there must have been a good solid rain during the day. I open my eyes, I'm still lookin' at the painting. The angels are still saving people. Wonder if I'm gonna be one of the saved....nah, I reckon I earned damned status a long time ago. Could be worse, at least there'll be some interesting people down in the pits with me. I'm pretty sure that Hell gets most of the good party types. I sit up, looks like she took off my coat and shirt. They're draped over a bust of Mary nearby. Sweet gal even cleaned them. I stand, and realize I'm not all that hurt. I look at my arm, it's healed pretty well. I check my other injuries, they're patched too. This shouldn't of happened. Even as tough as I am I shoulda been still screwed up tonight.

Ahhh, no point gettin' worked up over good things. Looking the gift horse in the mouth and all that. I pull on my shirt and tighten the coat around me. I breathe in the clean pure after rain air. I think it's time to try to find Decker. At the top of the stairs she's waiting. Wrapped in that big dark coat of hers, and dangling her car keys from one finger. She smiles and brushes a long lock of blonde hair outta her face. She offers her help. I say no. She then says she knows where Decker and the girl are. Did I tell her about them? Maybe when I was healin'? I tell her it'll be dangerous, that she should leave it ta me. She keeps smiling, she says she knows more about the danger then I ever could. I really don't know what that means, but I could use the ride she's offering, and she says she knows where Decker is. That's more then I can say. I shrug and head out for her car. 

A Chevette. Ain't no way to travel for a man over six feet tall. Stupid little import piece o crap. I knew it felt cramped the other night, I musta been really hurting for this tin toy ta knock me out on the street back there. I try to wedge in, but I don't fit too well. She laughs. Usually when people laugh at me they get hurt. But I can't seem ta hold it against her, hell, I almost chuckle myself. I probably would have if I didn't want to be able to concentrate on the sounds she wuz making. Her laughter is like little tinkling bells. Sweet and musical, they finally fade away. I tear out the seat and toss it over my shoulder. I fit in the car now. She shakes her head and gets in. She smells like fresh peaches. A perfect woman. An angel. 

I come to as she's trying to shove me off her. I gulp and immediately start stammering apologies like some goddamn kid. What the hell was I doing? Trying ta kiss her? Of all the damn fool idiot! She looks frightened, her hair is mussed up and she's breathing hard. I can feel the fangs in my mouth trying to come out, I force them back. This is bad, bad and dangerous. I try to get out of the car but she starts it up and goes before I can. Great, now I'm stuck in here with someone who almost made me lose it. I keep apologizing. She says it's okay. I'm such a dork. She says not to worry about it, that we've got more important things to concentrate on. She tells me ta concentrate. I do. I better. Especially when I see where she's drivin'.

Gotta try to stay focused. Cause we're heading over the river. That's right boys and girls, welcome to Windsor. Whatever you wanna say about Detroit and how the Camarilla runs it. Windsor is worse. The Sabbat are all over the damn place, people disappear every night. But even worse, sometimes the cops manage to find what's left of 'em. We luck out, the Sabbat border guards don't pick us out. Probably never figure any spy has enough gall to drive around in a lime green Chevette. Just as well, I wouldn't want to have to hurt them just for guarding their turf. I mean, the Sabbat are bad news an' all, but that don't mean they're bad people. Besides, I should probably stay fresh for whatever it is we're about to face. I sorta get the feeling Decker ain't just gonna hand the girl back ta me all friendly like. Course....I got my ways ta convince him to.

We drive up to some dive called Charlie's. A little pathetic nightclub that's just eking out an existence out on the fringe of the decent areas o Windsor. I look around, the neighborhood is all worn down and even more depressing then the nasty sections o Detroit. I can just see the river from here, I just hope we can get in and out and back over it before the Sabbat ever knows we wuz around. There's a pair of bouncers out front. Don't know why, it's not like there's a horde o people wanting to get in. Me and the angel walk up to them. They act all sweet to her and open the door right up. They tell me to buzz off. Hazel eyes tries to explain that I'm with her. They laugh at me. I grab their heads and slam them together. A few quick kicks while they're on the ground ends the argument. I take a pack of smokes from one of them. We go on in.

Place is as packed as a church Monday morning. In other words, empty. The speakers are playing some tune by Elvis. Problem is it sounds like something sung by Dolly Parton. I light up a cig and shove the pack in my pocket. Where'd I get that lighter? Oh well, I' worry about that later. I follow my angel back towards the rear door. She tries ta turn the knob a few times. It's locked. The bartender looks up and shouts something about it being private so I throw a wad of cash at him. He gets real quiet and just nods his head and slips outta sight again. The angel frowns as she looks at the door, she asks me if I know a good way in. I pull the handle and lock off. The door swings open. There's a rickety old stairway leading down inta the dark basement below. My angel starts down them, silently and gently. I stomp down after her, the steps creaking with every step. We get to the bottom, I shove the angel out of the way and step in front of her. 

The place is covered in all sorts of crazy writing. Like somebody took some reddish paint and decided to write all over the walls, ceiling, and floor. Looks like something out of some fantasy board game. The girl is chained down to a metal ring in the floor in the center of the room. Around her is some sorta circle design, like some little voodoo movie or somethin'. She's been stripped down and blindfolded, her cheeks are stained with dirt and streaked with her tears. I hear hazel eyes breath in, a sharp gasp of anger. Decker is standing nearby talking with three guys. All of them look up as we come in.

Decker starts shouting something about secrets best left buried. My angel tells him that he should listen to his own advice. I tell him it's pretty sick to tie up kids. He orders the three goofs with him to kill us. They all laugh at me. Two of them pull out knives. The last guy seems to peel the flesh off his hand to reveal a gleaming spike. He holds it up and laughs some more, so do his pals. Somebody shoulda warned them not ta laugh at me. It really honks me off. Spike-arm boy charges me...I grab the spike and twist it around to plant it into his face. He screams as he pulls his shattered arm out of his bloody eye socket. I backhand him into a wall. He hits with a nice solid squishing crunch. The other two jump me and slam me back onto the stairs. Above me hazel eyes stands on the steps, her eyes locked on Decker. He shouts something about too late to her as he pulls out a curved knife.

The angel seems to glide over me as she heads for Decker. I guess she jumped, but it's a nice smooth flowing jump. She lands gently right in front of him, her eyes flashing with anger. He seems to be chanting and yelling weird stuff as his staff spits flame towards her. His words sound French. I hate the French. Did you know that french fries aren't french? A knife slams inta my shoulder to remind me that maybe I shouldn't be watchin' my angel till I take care of the guys tryin' ta kill me. I tear my arms free and slam my hands together on either side of one of their heads. I do it as hard as I can. His head explodes. Thing is his blood seems to be green and burns like the dickens. It splatters all over me, burning my hands and really messing up my coat. The second guy gets burned too and staggers back. I plant my foot in his chest and push hard. He goes flying inta the far wall. I get up and charge right after him. He's dazed and confused, still trying ta get up. I jump onto him. Now that I'm on top I show him what a real beat down is all about. His hand struggles at my face, he tries to push me off. I keep hitting.

A gentle hand touches my shoulder. Peaches. I look up from the messy pile of blood and meat I'm beating. Guess I beat up on this guy enough. I look around, no sign o the Malk. Looks like Decker ran for it. His staff is split in two and lies smoking on the ground. The little girl whimpers. The angel looks over at her, hazel eyes filled with concern. I get up and snap the chains holding her. She pulls off her blindfold and takes one look at my mug. I understand that she screams. Hell I'd be worried if she didn't. Wish she hadn't. The angel comes over and hugs the girl gently. Her screams turn to sobs. They sit there, a picture of innocence. Decker's got friends though, reckon we best leave now. I pull off my coat and drape it over the small frame of the girl. She nods slowly in thanks, but still don't quite look at me. I guess I don't look much better with the coat off. Hazel collects the girl in her arms as I head up the stairs. That's when I hear the loud crack.

The floor gives out! Can you believe that crap? The whole damn floor! The stairway crumbles like tissue paper and I plummet into a dark hole. My face greets shattered stone as I slam to a stop. I roll over and look up at the lights far above. I can see were supports were worked away at, where they were slowly weakened. Looks like somebody collapsed the floor on purpose. Dropped us into the sewer line under the bar, a big damn sewer pipe. I hit hard...the girls! I roll to my feet just in time to see my angel descend softly to a pile of rubble, the girl still in her arms. Safe, they're safe. I heal up a bit and pop my face back inta it's normal shape, though I probably look about the same. I wrench a pipe out of some of the concrete and hold the heavy piece of steel tightly. The angel asks me what's wrong, I don't answer her, I'm lookin'. Cause if somebody dropped us down here for a reason, I'm bettin' they ain't done with us.

I spot the glowing eyes off in the darkness. Hear the scrabble of claws over broken cement. Closing in, the traps bein' sprung. We better move, now! I bellow for my angel ta follow me. I sprint down the tunnel. For once I feel like I know what I'm doing, I know why I'm running the way I am. Maybe the eyes know it too, they close in, some of them block our path,. Big dark shapes with claws and fangs and glowing eyes. I slam into the darkness swinging like a hurricane. Talons and hissing jaws lash at me, my metal bar shatters bone and rips flesh. I kick and shove and howl and force my way through to the other side. My angel and the girl right behind me. 

We take off down the smelly pipe. Nasty smelling goo splashes and sticks to my boots. Gonna have to replace those. We're making great time. It's all gonna work. I have a plan. As far as I can figure we're heading right for the drainage into the river. We get across it and it's all good. Back to Detroit, back to safety, back to a grate. A grate? We skid to a stop before the massive cast iron bars. They block the pipe, sealing off our path. Behind me I hear the sounds of the creatures coming for us. Their hissing growls echoing down the pipes eerily. Thing is, the bars ain't too close together, I tell the girls ta move. Angel starts to slip through one of the grates, she fits nicely. She looks back at me, but she'll need more time to get the girl to safety. They need to slow down the pursuit. I tell them to go for it. Angel looks at me, her eyes shining as she smiles. Somehow it seems to make it all seem better. She dashes away, the girl cradled in her arms. I turn around and bring up the bent and gore crusted pipe.

This is where you came in isn't it. So now you know....What? Oh yeah, endings, sorry...not good at stories. Well they come around the bend. They find me. One of em's stupid and charges right at me alone. I cave in his skull. I hear angel splashing lightly through the grime away from me...towards safety. The girl's safe. I saved them. I spit my sodden and smashed cigarette into the face of the next guy. Did I have that in my mouth the whole time? Don't reckon as how it matters, I lash out with the pipe and smash it across his jaw, it shatters. Suddenly one drops on me from above, little buggers climb like Spiderman! I grab it and slam it down in front of me. I howl as I raise my steel bar over my head and drive it straight down. It shears right through him and inta the concrete below. The little fucker keeps struggling. I stomp on his neck even as some more of them leap into me. 

Then it just gets nasty and confusing. A swirl of mad violence. But that's okay, when fighting this close I have the advantage. They keep having to worry about hitting one of their friends, every blow they miss hurts an ally. I however just get to go wild. They're all around me, I can't miss. I lash out, I bellow, I howl. I feel alive, I feel no confusion, it's all clear to me now! I kick and punch and curse. My flesh is torn, I tear flesh. Blood fills my sight, I am that which I fight. Monster tears at monster, muscle to muscle, strength to strength. It was glorious! Let me tell ya I've never felt better. I knew that no matter what happened after that it would all be worth it for this one crystal clear moment of blood drenched perfection!

But they got numbers. They make their mistakes sure, but they only have to get lucky once, while I have to be lucky every time. I ain't that lucky. I'm thrown back into the grate, my arm hangs dead at my side. I hold a shattered pipe up with my good arm. Guess I ripped it outta the guy I impaled. One o my legs feels like it's on fire, the other feels worse. I look up through blood caked eyes and snarl at the darkness, the creatures slowly fall back. The big guy from the garage walks up. Guess I didn't kill him after all. His eyes flash gleaming yellow in the darkness. He grins with flashing fangs at me. He says I got guts. He walks closer and says he admires my determination. In fact, he says that he could even. I ram into his belly and start unloading on him with the pipe. He collapse in surprise, his bones splintering under my attack. I howl in fury as the others are on me. My flesh rips open, as they rip into me. I fall back, I slump helpless before their gleaming claws. My blood sprays their snarling faces. Then their faces are lit by a golden glow.

I collapse to the ground as a blinding fire seems to dissolve the grating. They draw back as a golden figure walks towards them. Golden wings extend from it's back as fire lances along it's arms. It's gaze promises to obliterate any who dare to face it's unstoppable power. It smells of peaches. I sink into darkness..... 

* * *

......Well, that's the story. I woke up tonight, I was out in a dumpster and stinking of all sorts of stuff. What? You don't buy it? What about all my wounds....oh, just cause I get in fights every night wounds aren't proof. Well how about this pack of cigs I took from the bouncer. See? Well....yeah I could get cigarettes somewhere else, but...shut-up. All Right! Go ask Decker, the Malkavian will tell ya! Oh, yeah I wouldn't listen to them either.   
My angel's house? I went by there, it's just an abandoned slum, no paintings or even a Chevette. Well....uh, she smelled like peaches....and I reckon I'll see her again. On Judgment Day. I reckon she'll take me to a nice bit o hell where I can hang out and kick ass. Yeah. By the way, you got a light. I lost my lighter. When? I don't know. I suppose maybe I never had one. But then how did I light the first cigarette. And where did I get this coat? Gotta try to concentrate on that one....


End file.
